Old Beginnings, New Endings
by Purple88
Summary: The start of a longer story. Buffy needs Faith to break out of jail, but the reason remains hidden...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and i am not making money from this. This is for entertainment purposes only, i own nothing. So please don't sue me, i'm poor!

_Note:__ This is the start of a longer story. I can't promise that it will ever be completed, only time will tell. I had it in my mind to make this become a Buffy/Faith pairing eventually; but that may change. There is someone else i would quite like to pair Faith with.._

_It should also be noted that this is my first attempt at writing any kind of fanfic, so i'm sorry if it sucks. I hadn't planned to ever post this online, but a friend of mine's constant nagging has finally pushed me to do it. Cass, i hope you're happy!_

* * *

**Old Beginnings, New Endings**

Faith the vampire slayer, formerly a psychotic killer and bitter enemy of one Miss Buffy Summers, sat behind the bullet proof glass with a look of complete confusion on her face. And this wasn't just because it seemed the world was about to come to an end..again. No, the real root of her confusion was coming from the small blonde that sat on the other side of the glass with the phone at her ear and a gentle smile on her face. The two slayers had been talking civily now for about fifteen minutes and not a single smart comment or sarcastic insult had passed Buffy's lips, this bothered Faith, a lot. Even the manner in which Buffy had showed up at visiting today was all wrong, she had been far too pleased to see her and had instantly lept in to conversation as if this was one of the most normal things in the world. Never mind the fact that the last time they had spoken she had threatened to beat Faith to death. Something was extremly wrong.

"..So anyway, as i said before, i really think we can learn to put the past behind us and move on if we just give it a try." Buffy finally wrapped her little speech and waited expectantly for an answer; still with that creepy, all too happy expression on her face.

Faith shook shook her head slightly as she tried to think of how to respond. This had all happened so fast. This morning had just been another day in the clink and now suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it had all changed. She sat there now in silence and took the time to really study the blonde before her. It seemed that time had been kind to the young woman and she still looked as beautiful as ever, with that golden hair, and small frame which belied just how strong and tough she really was. The only thing Faith noticed that had changed was the eyes. It wasn't right to call them lifeless exactly, but they did seem dulled. There was no light or sparkle in them anymore and none of her smiles seemed to reach them. It was almost as if all the emotion had been drained from them and they had stopped reflecting her feelings. She didn't know why, but it filled Faith with a profound sadness to look at them and get nothing back. It also made Buffy's current bright mood and lively conversation seem even more wrong and out of place. The falsness of it all was confusing. What was going on?

"Faith...? You in there?"

The brunette started a little at the voice and realised she'd let her thoughts run away with her, "Sorry, B. I'm with ya, its just..." she let her sentence trail off.

What could she say? What Buffy was offering was something she had dreamed of for a long time; freedom and more importantly forgiveness. So why then did it feel so wrong? Faith ran a hand through her mess of dark hair in frustration. It wasn't supposed to go down like this. She took a breath and fixed Buffy with a firm look.

"All right, heres the sitch," Faith finally managed to find her words, "last time we met, it wasn't exactly roses. And i've done things to you, B! Terrible things that you've never been able to forgive me for." She paused for a moment to see if any of this was getting through, but Buffy's face was unreadable, "and that night you came to LA, lets face it, you wanted revenge, plain and simple."

At this moment the blonde opened her mouth to protest but Faith cut her off and continued, "And i get that the world is in some kind of danger from a big bad and my slayerness would come in useful. But you and the scoobies are always fighting this kinda stuff all the time and you've never needed me before. So what's changed?" At this the slayer put up her hand to stop Buffy from answering and quickly added, "And don't gimme the _'i want to move on and be friends' _speech again coz i'm not buying it"

* * *

Buffy sat opposite her dark counterpart and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Nothing was ever simple when it came to this girl! She hadn't wanted to come here and speak to the woman before her, in fact just looking at her sitting there behind the glass filled her with all kinds of mixed up emotions; most of them dark ones. Faith had been right on the money in thinking that she had wanted revenge, and remembering the argument with Angel in which he blantently defended the bitch made her blood boil. 

But all these feelings needed to be forced beneath the surface for now, and Buffy thought she had been doing a pretty good job of it. The key was to just keep talking, and smiling and talking some more. The babblefest meant that she wasn't giving herself time to dwell on the evilness that was Faith. She could just power through and get this over with. Unfortunantly Faith was not as willing to bust out of jail as she had counted on. Typical really, even now the other slayer defied expectations.

She reguarded the brunette with a cool expression and tried one last time to convince her to break out. She decided to use Faith's guilt this time instead of spinning some story about forgetting the past as that clealy hadn't worked, "You remember that time up on the roof when you asked how to make it better?"

The slayer gave a quick nod of her head and Buffy could see from the look in her eyes that she the remembered that night vivdily. She watched as the woman leaned in a bit closer and gave her full attention. Buffy locked her eyes on to the other slayer's and her next words were said with much more sincerity than anything she had said so far, the tone was firm and even, "Well this would be a start. I _need_ you to do this for me."

It seemed despite all her uncertainty and earlier reservations, this had sold her and Buffy couldn't help but feel relieved. Now she could finally get Faith out of here and prepare for the beginning of the end.

Faith rose from her chair with a look of determination on her face, "Step away from the glass".


	2. On The Road

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and i am not making money from this. This is for entertainment purposes only, i own nothing. So please don't sue me, i'm poor!

_Note: Thanks so much to everyone who left a review. It means a lot to read what you all think. And it has certainly made me glad i posted this. So anyway, here is a second chapter. I'm not that happy with it, i don't think it flows that well, but i've been tampering with it for so long that i can't tell the good from the bad anymore. Its also been difficult having to make do without a beta-reader, so sorry if there are spelling/format mistakes that i have missed. Anyway, here it is:_

* * *

The car shot away from the prison like a bat out of hell. Tyers screeched and the engine roared as it sped along the road, turning so sharply around some corners that two of the wheels actually left the surface of the road. Faith hung on for dear life as she was thrown from one side of her seat to the other. She had seen many terrible things in her life time, but as she watched the other slayer in the drivers seat swinging the wheel this way and that, eractically changing gears, she realised that Buffy's driving may well be the scariest thing she had ever seen. The engine gave a particularly load roar as Buffy sped along at high speed in the wrong gear, and bounced a few times as she tried to make the correction. 

"Geez B, you actually passed your driving test?" Faith asked incrediously as she watched the little blonde continue her crazy jerking of the steering wheel.

Buffy didn't take her eyes off the road, "No".

"No?"

"Giles and the others are busy trying to hold things together in Sunnydale, i was the only one who could come."

"Great"

"Since when did you get so uptight?" Buffy glanced across at Faith in slight annoyance. It was bad enough she was having to be in her presence at all without her critising her driving skills. She turned her head back to the road and swallowed down her anger, god there was so much she wanted to say to the other slayer, so many feelings she had to keep under wraps. Because to explode at her now would ruin everything..

"Hey whatever", the brunette held up her hands and leaned back in her seat. She looked out the windsheild and watched as they turned on to the highway. This was going to be a loooong trip.

* * *

It was dusk by the time Buffy decided to pull over for a rest. Driving along a straight, never ending road with nothing to look at but the same plain landscape of sweeping fields really took it out of you. She slowed down slightly and with a look of upmost concentration on her face, she pulled sharply into the layby. The car screeched to a sudden halt and both slayers were thrown forward violently. Faith was sure she would have been pitched straight through the windsheild, had she not been wearing her seatbelt. 

As both women exited the car they were hit by the summer heat radiating off of the concrete beneath their feet. In the car they had reaped the benefit of air conditioning, but now in the open air they were struck by just how sweltering it truly was.

Faith wandered over to the soft verge and looked out across the fields that seemed to go on for miles, the grass a browny yellow from lack of water. Everything was so still and quiet, she could almost imagine that she and Buffy were the last two people on earth, and she smiled a little at the thought.

Buffy sat down a little way off with her eyes closed, there was not even the smallest of breezes and the hot, dry air pressed in around her like a suffocating blanket. Despite this Buffy couldn't help but enjoy the silence of this empty place, no well meaning friends trying to talk to her, no forces of evil trying to destroy her; just a peacful nothingness. She sighed a little and opened her eyes to catch sight of her counterpart gazing out across the landscape with the slightest of smiles on her face. The sun was slowly going down now, bathing the brunnette in a golden glow and as Buffy continued to watch her, she was struck by just how truly beautiful the younger woman was. Faith had always been hot, anyone with eyes could see that, but this was a different kind of beauty. A natural one, no make-up or tight fitting clothes, just the golden glow of the sun highlighting the brunette's features, making her look soft and pretty. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, shimmering slightly in the light. Her eyes had always been soulful and they had never been more so than now as the she looked out across the fields.

Buffy mentally shook herself and hauled herself up from the ground, what was she thinking? This was just another thing that she hated about Faith, the way she made her feel. Because despite all the wrong she had done and evilness she had practiced, Buffy still felt something for the other slayer. There had always been a physical attraction between them, something that drew each other together, the tension was always most palpable when they fought side by side in combat. Buffy didn't know if it was a slayer thing, or if it was just Faith's irresistable and seemingly innate sexiness. But whatever it was, she remembered all too clearly how it had threatened to pull her into the darkness with Faith at any moment, back when they were younger, before the mayor's defeat. And part of her had longed for that, to join the other slayer in the darkness where there was no consequences, just power and instinct. That was perhaps why she had fought against Faith for so long and acted against her with such hatred, because she saw in the younger woman the darknesses in her own soul that she had never dared to set loose. The things Faith had said to her, the way she lived her life, it was suductive and there had been times when she had wanted to be like her. But a larger sense of responsiblity had always stopped her, she would never be like Faith, that is what she had promised herself.

* * *

As quickly as the wind changes, so the peaceful stillness of the evening was suddenly shattered by the sound of a car's engine. Buffy saw Faith up ahead turning her head towards the road and her relaxed stance stiffened, "Hey B, looks like we got company," Buffy heard the warning in her voice. 

The blonde followed Faith's gaze. A black car of a seemingly ancient make was coming down the highway and indicting to pull into the layby. That on its own may not have been cause for worry had it not been for the blacked out windscreen.

"Vampires", Buffy tensed when she saw the car and wondered not for the first time why it was that the forces of darkness had such a knack for following her wherever she went. She went to stand next to Faith and adopted a defensive stance, her eyes were still fixed on the enemy when she asked, "Its been a while, you up for it?"

Faith brought out her stake and looked at Buffy with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Obviously her stint in prison hadn't dulled her lust for the kill, "Lets party."

As soon as the two vampires got out of the car and saw the pair of women poised with stakes in their hands, they smirked and on came their game faces. Instead of being terrified by the fact that it was them against two slayers, they seemed pleased. "Its about time you two girls finally stopped, we been tracking you for hours," the vampire had a slow southern drawl. "Now lets get this over so my brother and I can be on our way."

Buffy looked at the guy as if he was crazy, "You really think you can take out two slayers?"

The vampire laughed, an unpleasant cackle that bubbled from his throat. "Well its not just the two of us darlin', my boys have been on the road for a long time and they're mighty hungry."

As if on cue there was a sudden deep rumbling sound that grew louder and louder, and seemed to reverberate through the air like thunder. The first motorcyle crested the hill and then another, followed by a third. Faith felt Buffy shift slightly beside her and they watched as the vehicles kept coming, more and more of them. The black helmets glinting in what little sunlight was now left.

"Theres gotta be a least 40 of them," Faith heard Buffy whisper harshly.

She turned to meet the blonde's gaze, and offered one of her most confident smiles, she'd been itching to get some action and this was just what they both needed, "I say we take 'em all hard and fast, right now."

Buffy saw the resolve in the other woman's face, and heard the familiar tone in her voice, that one of danger and anticipation. It reminded the blonde of the old days before everything had gone bad, back when they had made a great team. When they had fought side by side it had been as if they fuelled each other's fires and fed of each other's adenaline and energy. So as Buffy reguarded the other slayer before her now and recognised the gleam in her eyes and tension in her body, she didn't care that it was just two against forty. She was ready.

* * *

As soon as the first biker vamp's feet had hit the floor it was on. The two slayers moved as one, throwing themselves into the middle of the vampires, and the first of the punches was thrown. Buffy kicked the vampire in front of her hard in the stomach before he had even found time to take a step towards her. He stumbled back with a grunt and as he looked up, his face was instantly met by a fist which found its way through his open helmet. He flew backwards, crashing into one of the bikes and crushing another two vamps on landing. And so the carnage began. 

The two slayers fought their way through, sometimes taking on as many as four or five at a time. And the longer Buffy fought, the more alive she felt. Faith was nearby currently swinging one of the vampire's own helmets over her head and then bringing it down to take out three bad guys in a row. The blonde couldn't help but smile at her energy, she really did live for the slayage. She felt that same feeling well up in herself and motivate her on. Punching, kicking, ducking, diving, moving ever onwards. She let her own energy explode out of her with every move she made. She felt the power running through her veins, the exhilaration of pounding the enemy down, of staking them and beating them. Buffy couldn't help thinking that this was what she was born to do. She only felt truly free when immersed in a fight like this. Because right now nothing else existed but her and her victims. She was indestructable.

As the fight raged on, Buffy turned to take on a vamp to her right when CRASH, a motorcycle landed directly in her line of path. Her heart lept as she realised it had missed her by an inch. And in that moment of shock she failed to sense the vampire coming up from behind. Too late, she felt him grab her tightly by the neck. She froze. His hold was such that he could snap her neck at any moment. Any sudden movement could mean the end. She considered calling for Faith but she couldn't see her anywhere. Had they got her too?

"Ready to die?" came the soft voice behind her, full of malice. Buffy shut her eyes, "_of all the stupid ways to go"_, she thought hopelessly.

And then suddenly everything changed, there was a weird 'thud' kind of noise before the iron grip around her neck disappeared as quickly as it had come. She turned to be met with the sight of the other slayer, standing there with her stake still raised and a rather smug smirk on her face. Buffy was reminded irresistibly of the time at the docks so long ago when Mr Trick had met the same fate. And with that memory stirred many emotions, none of which she wanted to deal with at that moment. She stared back at the brunette.

"Thanks" was all she was able to say.

"No problem girlfriend"

And with that they threw themselves back into the fight once more, kicking, punching, staking, side by side and in total harmony with each other. And Buffy came to realise just how much she missed the old days. It felt good to have somebody watch your back. She let her instinct drive her once more and give her strength; punch, duck, roll, stake. Vamp after vamp fell but more came to take their place. Time lost meaning and it wasn't until she heard Faith's voice calling from afar that she realised it was time to give up the slay.

"B! Gotta go!" Faith was already almost at the car.

Buffy ran to the car, a couple of vampires right behind her. She threw open the passenger door and lept in, the car already moving by the time she pulled the door shut behind her.

"See you haven't lost your touch." Buffy commented as they drove away, leaving the enemy far behind them.

"You know me B," came the reply. Faith shook her head a little and gave a short, throaty laugh, "That was some fight though."

Buffy smiled slightly despite her determination to hate the other slayer. The brunette was right, that fight had felt good. They had been completly surrounded, attacked from all sides and yet they had given as good as they got. Must have dusted well over half of them, and all in perfect sync with each other. "Yeah," was all she offered in reply.

* * *

Half an hour later, and the horde of biker vamps were nowhere to be found. It seemed that they hadn't bothered to pursue the slayers and whilst this was technically a good thing, Buffy couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. Maybe the reason they gave up so readily was because there were more of them out there, waiting to ambush them further along. Maybe even now, as they sped along the highway, there were more enemies gathering up ahead. But then again, she mused, the closer they got to Sunnydale, the less likely they were to be followed or attacked. For even the most fearsome vampires and demons had now fled the small town where they were headed. 

Suddenly, the car began to slow and Buffy was pulled out of her idle thoughts and back to reality. She shot a questioning look at Faith, suspicion and annoyance welling up inside her.

"What are you doing?" She asked as the car swung off the road and pulled up outside a small motel.

"What's it look like?"

"Faith we don't have time to stop, we need to get back tonight!"

"Or what? The world will end?" Faith smirked at Buffy, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Actually yes." She replied, feeling slightly irked. How could Faith always take things so lightly?

"The world can wait, im starved, we gotta eat!"

Buffy thought about it for a moment. In all honesty she was feeling pretty ravonous herself. It had been a big fight and they hadn't managed to nail them all, the unfinished slays were always the worst and even as she thought this, her stomach gave a growl. She looked through her window at the quaint little motel, the exterior was plain with nothing but a few plants dotted around; a poor attempt at decoration. There was also a large sign that simply said, 'Room Vacencies'. She decided that maybe it wouldn't hurt to just stop in for something to eat and maybe a get few hours rest...

"Alright", She grudingly conceded, "but we leave at first light tommorrow."

Buffy had barely finished her sentence before Faith was leaping out of the car and heading for the entrance.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters and i am not making money from this. This is done only for my own amusement, i own nothing. So don't sue me, i'm poor!

_**Warning: **__This story alludes to and will eventually include a female/female romantic relationship. If this offends you, please go no further._

**Note:** Okay here we are, a little more to add to the story. Sorry if its boring, but once i get my ramble on theres no stopping me. Also: there is a section written in italics, this marks the fact it is a dream and not reality :)

**Thanks**: To OktoberLibra for beta reading again.

* * *

Back in Sunnydale the scooby gang were doing all they could to keep the Summers' house in one piece. As an apocalyptic storm of fire and brimstone raged on outside, destroying everything in it's path, the friends were working hard inside to keep the house from being reduced to rubble. Willow stood in the center of the living room with a look of determined concentration on her face. She was muttering continually though her voice was drowned out by the sounds of the storm outside, and every now and then the lightening flashed across the room and lit the witch's face, her red hair emphasising the paleness of her skin. 

Around Willow the others bustled. Xander, Tara and Dawn were working hard to keep all the windows boarded up and everything in the house secure, while Giles and Anya stood in deep conversation, on the other side of the room, with piles of books scattered around them. The storm outside may have been firery and electric, but the tense atmosphere inside was almost as bad.

"I'm telling you, this whole thing is a bad idea", Anya's voice strained to be heard above the noise all around them.

Giles flicked agitatedly through the heavy book he held, paying little attention to what he was looking at. He took a deep breath as if trying to inhale the last bit of his patience before answering the ex-demon, "You have made your reservations quite clear already Anya, but unless you have suddenly come up with a miracle solution to all this," he gestured to the mess and rubble that lay strewn across the delapidated room,"this plan is all we have. So either we get on with it or just sit down and wait for death."

Anya sighed in resignation, "Oh alright, no need to get all dramatic." She took a long look at Willow before finally asking, "So isn't this supposed to be over by now? The storm I mean."

Giles took his glasses off and began absently polishing them on his jacket, which was never a good sign. He replaced them on his face and replied,"Well ah..yes. It should..a ..should be over any time now really..."

"You don't sound sure about that," Anya stated, giving Giles a look of upmost suspicion. "Y'know Willow has been maintaining the shield a long time now. What if she reverts back to her flaying ways?"

"Anya, I beg you, please just keep your negative thoughts to yourself. The situation is bad enough without you adding more anxiety."

"Fine, but as soon as she starts killing again, I'm leaving. Better to be swept away by a storm than flayed alive."

Gile's eyes rolled skywards as he moved away from the young woman and her incessant worrying. He paced slowly over where Willow was still standing and studied her face. What he saw there was indeed worrying and he couldn't help thinking that Anya's concerns had been completely justified. Though the young witch was still a redhead, her eyes seemed to be much darker than normal and her expression had become somehow more sinister. Giles considered breaking her concentration and pulling her out of whatever trance she had got herself into, but he knew that to do this would mean the house would no longer be protected. If only the storm would end...

Giles glanced over to where the other three scoobies were finishing up their work. Tara had been holding the boards to the window with magic, while Xander fixed them to the frame properly. Dawn, for the most part just milled around them, handing Xander things when he asked for them. The watcher took one more look at Willow and then quietly called over to Tara, he didn't want to raise any panic by shouting but he was certain that the tension in his voice was what brought the blonde over to quickly.

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously, her eyes shifting from him to Willow and then back again.

"I'm sure everything is fine," he tried to be a nochalant as possible, "I just think that Willow could perhaps do with some help."

Tara was clearly not fooled by his forced calmness. She was all too aware that he had sensed the first warning signs of dark Willow and it was clear in her expession that she could she the change in her girlfriend too.

She fixed Giles with a determined look on her face, "I'll see what i can do"

And with that she moved swiftly to the other witch's side and took one of her hands in her own. The jolt of added power and magic was actually visible and Giles had to step back slightly to avoid getting caught up in it. Both women now stood side by side, concentrating very hard on keeping the house's shield up. Thankfully, Willow's face had instantly softened once more and her eyes had become lighter and clearer. Giles didn't know whether this was due to the extra boost of good magic or whether it was simply the presence and connection of her girlfriend beside her, but he was relieved none the less.

* * *

Faith wolfed her food down as if it was her last meal. The fight before had stirred up a huge hunger and the slayer was intent on sating it. But as she sat and chomped her way through all the junk food on the table she also found time to watch the small blonde opposite her. Faith couldn't help but smirk at what she saw. Buffy sat with her plate in front of her, but unlike Faith's own, it was not piled to the top. Instead it held a regular sized portion of salad and a few fries. The other slayer was taking her time eating it too. 

Faith inwardly sighed at the sight. It was clear to her that Buffy was just as hungry and she was, but yet she insisted on forcing herself to eat slowly, pretending she wasn't that bothered about it. Faith guessed that some things never changed. Even after all this time it seemed that Little Miss Prim and Proper still refused to acknowledge the hungry/horny principle. Still, it didn't really matter any more. There was a time that Faith would have seen Buffy's denial as a challenge to rise up to. But that was the old her. She had been given a second chance now, and she didn't intend to screw it up. So rather than attempt to provoke the blonde into some kind of reaction by either flirting of doing something else provocative she instead opted for the safer and much duller route; small talk.

"So, what else can ya tell me about this demon? Just how nasty are we talkin'? She asked conversationally.

"Well," Buffy began thoughtfully,"So far he's brought about a flood, a plague and just before i left; a storm of fire and brimstone"

"Wow, what a drama queen," the brunette offered, "I'm guessing theres a good reason why ya haven't kicked his ass straight back to hell yet...?"

"No ass to kick. He needs to do some kind of ritual before he can take solid form. Thats what Giles told us anyway." Buffy swirled her fork around her plate, playing with her food rather than eating it.

"What kind of ritual?" By now Faith's interest was at least slightly aroused. This was the first proper piece of information she had been able to glean about this mystery foe she was supposed to help defeat.

Buffy's eyes instantly dropped away from Faith, "I don't know exactly..."

The shiftless eyes were not lost on Faith. And she realised in annoyance that Buffy was definitely holding something back. But then again, what else was new? The blonde had never been a particularly trusting person. Faith's mind wandered back to the time when Buffy had hidden the knowledge of Angel's return from both her and the scooby gang. That, she recalled wistfully, was what had caused the first physical fight between them both.

Faith knew she would never forget that night, she recalled how deeply hurt she had been at way her 'watcher' had used and decieved her and by Buffy's failure to keep her in the loop about Angel's return. If Buffy had confided in Faith about the vampire, if she had told her everything, Faith would have been only too happy to stand by her friend when the time came to inform Giles and Co. It would certainly have avoided the misunderstandings that were to occur later on. But for some reason, Buffy had chosen to keep Faith in the dark and push away any attempt to talk about it. The scars of that night would never truly fade. Faith had cared so much for the other slayer, even then, so early on. And yet by not trusting Faith or keeping her involved, Buffy had proved she didn't care for her at all; they weren't really friends. Faith had felt so betrayed...and so stupid...

When the conversation suddenly went dead, Buffy forced herself to look at Faith again and was disconcerted by what she saw. The other slayer's dark eyes were staring right back at her. She had a strange look on her face of what seemed like a mixture of anger and sadness and perhaps some other emotions she could not decifer. Did Faith know she was holding back? Was she already suspecting that all was not what it seemed? Buffy desperatly hoped not. If the plan to destroy the demon was going to have any chance at working Faith needed to trust and believe Buffy. There was no way the other slayer would come so willing if she knew the truth.

Buffy forced herself to make eye contact as she tossed Faith another half truth, "When we get to Sunnydale, everything will be explained. I promise."

Faith narrowed her eyes, wondering if she should believe her. She supposed she really didn't have a choice. She had already broken out of jail for the other woman. There was no turning back. However, the unsettling feeling that she was being decieved stayed with Faith as the two continued to finish their meal; both women now feeling awkward in each other's presence. It seemed any good feelings from the fight they had shared had now evaporated completely...

* * *

_The scene before her swam in and out of focus, first she was standing in the library, then the motel, then in the middle of a graveyard and then back to the library again. Feelings and emotions changed like the tides, and everything around her was in a state of flux. The only thing that remained constant was the knife in her hand and the young slayer standing in front of her. _

_Buffy knew this had to be a dream, but at the same time it felt completely real. She drank in the sight of the girl before her. This was the Faith that hadn't yet killed men, or turned evil; she was just the young, fiery girl who had pushed herself into the blonde's life all those years ago and helped her to enjoy slaying rather than just see it as a job. She reached out a hand to her, suddenly needing some contact but even as she moved she realised that Faith was already slipping away. The front door to the motel room gaped open, Faith took a step towards it and faded into oblivion, panic rose in Buffy with a desperate intensity that she couldn't explain. She had an overwhelming urge to find the other slayer and catch her before she was gone for good. She felt herself cry out, "Faith!" and then dove through the door._

_Then everything changed, the scene before her was familiar, it was Faith's place given to her by the mayor, much nicer than the motel. She saw the bed with the blue duvet, the cat pacing across the floor and past these was the glass window and the fateful balcony. Faith sat upon the bed, she lounged in the relaxed, if not slightly arrogant stance that was so typical of her in the beginning when she had been care-free. Buffy took a step towards her and suddenly realised that the knife in her hand was gone, it was nowhere to be seen. But the thing that she noticed most was her distinct lack of anger and hatred. When she looked upon the other slayer all she felt was a deep longing and a quiet sadness, this was the past Faith before all the bad events swept them apart. She couldn't feel anger towards this girl because she hadn't yet done anything wrong. Buffy sat beside her on the bed, their eyes met and in that moment they both understood that here, they were friends; the chosen two. None of the recent events existed._

_For a moment neither girl spoke. It was enough to just be there and soak up each others company. Everything was still and calm and Buffy slowly began to remember the good times she and Faith had shared. Faith had helped Buffy to embrace her work as a slayer, to let go every once in a while. And Buffy for her part had helped to keep Faith grounded, keeping her from going too far. They had made a perfect team. Yes Faith had been a little stand-offish at times, hiding behind the tough girl routine but at the core she had been a good person and a loyal friend. Images and emotions flooded through the blonde's mind faster and faster. Faith showing up at Christmas, all shy and sweet, the synchronized slaying in the graveyards, the dancing at the Bronze; it all flew through her mind faster and faster. And then they stopped dead, just as quickly as they began._

_She looked at the other slayer still sitting silently beside her. Her dark hair hung down to frame her face perfectly, the lips were full and a dark red and her eyes gazed back at her with a soulful intensity that Buffy had never gotten used to. You could almost drown in those dark eyes, and part of her wanted to. The girl before her was a living contradiction, she had the look of a confident seductress and yet there was a terrible vulnerability about her too and the longer the slayer gazed upon the beauty before her, the more she ached to have things back the way they were. _

"_Hey B, time to shine, lets go," the brunette stood in the doorway a few feet away with a very large and all too familiar crossbow in her hands. Buffy looked from the now empty space on the bed, to the girl across the room. Something inside her told her she should find this strange but she really didn't. It was time to patrol._

_The two slayers wandered slowly through the different cemeteries of Sunnydale and as they walked they chatted idly about everything and anything. They had the kinds of conversations that back in reality would now be considered too inane as their were bigger issues and problems at hand. But here where the present day didn't exist they were free to just be a couple of young slayers yet to be shackled to any particular future. _

"_So what? So you're telling me the hungry and horny thing, you don't feel it?" Faith glanced at the blonde sceptically._

"_I told you, yogurt cravings only," Buffy didn't know why she kept pretending. Maybe she just didn't like to think she and Faith were so alike. She continued in a superior tone that she knew would irritate her friend, "Not all of us are sex crazed skanks you know…" She risked a look at Faith and was rewarded with a sarcastic smile from the other girl._

"_This coming from someone who boinked the undead!" Faith shook her head slightly, "Honestly B, when are you guna stop with this sweet and innocent routine?" _

"_For the last time, its not a rountine," Buffy rolled her eyes in exasperation as their conversation led them down this familiar road. "And anyway, you wanna talk about acts? Well what about you and that I'm-hard-as-nails routine?" At this point Faith opened her mouth to protest but Buffy cut her off, "Coz we all know that's not the real you."_

"_Yeah?" Faith studied Buffy with an amused smile and waited for her to continue, she was so cute when she was all fired up._

"_Yeah. We all know at heart you're just a pussy cat." The slayer smiled teasingly. She stopped as she said this to look directly at her dark haired counterpart, she wanted to see the look of outrage on her face…shes was always to cute when she was angry…_

_Faith stopped too and then stepped in even closer to Buffy, invading her personal space. She threw her one of her most seductive smiles and moved her eyes up the length of the smaller slayer's body slowly and deliberately. "A pussy cat huh?" she held back a chuckle as she saw Buffy almost visibly gulp, a rabbit caught in headlights came to mind. She lightly ran some fingers down the length of Buffy's arm and leaned in to speak directly into her ear. "Then why not try making me purr…"_

_Suddenly standing up was much harder than it used to be for Buffy. Hearing that gorgeous, husky voice so up close and personal was enough to make anyone weak. She desperately tried to think of something to say, but her brain seemed to have taken a holiday. Fortunately…or maybe unfortunately, a vampire chose this moment to attack and before Buffy could respond, the creature was upon both slayers, looking to fight._

_Unsurprisingly, the battle didn't last very long, one vampire pitted against two slayers was just not a fair match. With the creature dusted, Buffy moved over to where Faith was just picking herself up. She caught hold of her arm and started to help her up, "was it just me or did he kinda look like Giles. Y'know? With the glasses and the extreme tweedyness of his clothes.." _

_Faith grinned at the comment…then all of a sudden her expression changed and she straightened up to look Buffy directly in the eyes. "Why are you doing this, B?" she spoke so softly that Buffy wasn't completely sure that she didn't imagine it. But one look at the other girl's mournful expression told her she hadn't and her heart sank, she looked away. "This isn't how its supposed to go down," even as Buffy heard Faith say this she knew it was true but she just wasn't ready to let go yet, she didn't want it to end._

"_Can't we just pretend?", Buffy looked at Faith imploringly, "just a little longer?"_

_Faith gave her a sad smile, and raised a hand to the blonde's cheek. Buffy closed her eyes at that simple touch and wanted to melt, even though this wasn't real, the warmth coming from the girl's hand and the feelings that coursed through Buffy as she felt it seemed more real than anything. The thought of losing the other slayer again was unbearable, her eyes welled up with tears, but none fell. "I miss you," she uttered the words so softly that they were barely audible but she knew Faith heard. In response Faith brought her forehead down to Buffy's and they stood there, faces inches apart, listening to each other's breathing as everything else just fell away. _

_Moments later and Faith broke the spell to gently whisper, "…But I don't exist anymore, B. And you know it." Buffy pulled back slowly and fought back her tears. "Its time to put the knife back in…" Faith murmured. And the instant she said this Buffy felt the cold hard hilt of the dagger in her hand once more. It felt ugly and evil in her grasp but also frighteningly right. She looked down at it and held it tighter._

_With tears now flowing freely down her face, the slayer plunged the blade into Faith gut once more and blanched as she heard the resulting cry of pain. The whole scene began spinning round and round._

Buffy woke with a start. The dim surroundings of the motel room coming into focus. She sat up in the bed and looked across the room. Though dark, she could just make out the form of Faith lying on the couch asleep. They hadn't managed to get a double room at this motel, so the younger woman had offered to take the couch. Buffy had let her.

Images of the dream swam across her mind as she slowly eased herself back down onto the bed. When she had first driven down to the prison to bring Faith to Sunnydale she had been convinced that she was doing the right thing. But it seemed that things were not going to go as smoothly as she had expected. Her issues with Faith continued to affect her as much now as they did in the past. Doing what needed to be done, was going to be very tough...


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the show or the characters. Just having some harmless fun.

**Timeline:** Is messed up. So here is what did and didn't happen in my mind. The Glory story did happen, Buffy was resurrected. Willow did go evil for a while. Joyce did die. Buffy did have relations with Spike. However, Tara did not die. Anya and Xander did not split up. Spike did not stay in Sunnydale after Buffy told him it was over.

**Note:** Its been ages since I updated this and I admit I have major writers block with his story. The words just aren't flowing. But I promised myself I would complete this thing. So this will have to do. Hopefully I'll get the next few chapters out fairly quickly. As always, apologies if this sucks.

* * *

"You hear that?" Xander asked his comrades.

The Scooby gang had spent the last hour sitting under the dining room table, in a sheltered corner of the room. As the two witches began to lose strength, the shield had become unstable and the gang were forced to take extra cover.

"Hear what?" Anya was first to ask the question.

"Exactly", Xander replied as he clambered out from under the makeshift shelter.

Anya, Dawn and Giles followed suit and as they stretched out their aching limbs and took stock of their surroundings; Xander's point quickly became apparent. For the first time in ages, there was silence.

"The storm", Dawn said delightedly, "Its stopped!"

"And not a moment too soon", Giles added, glancing over that the two Wicca's. It seemed they were about ready to drop.

Giles made his way over to Willow to break her from her trance while the others began to tidy up some of the mess strewn all over the room. Very few ornaments had made it through the storm in tact, but some of the larger furniture looked salvageable.

"So you were deceiving us before," Anya said in her with her usual directness.

Xander, who had been watching Giles help Willow and Tara over to the couch, turned to his girlfriend in confusion.

"What?" He asked, already sensing that he probably didn't want to know.

Anya fixed him with an accusatory glare, "You knew the storm had stopped, but instead of telling us, you made us listen for something that wasn't there."

"An'", Xander began, exasperated, "That _was_ my way of telling you it had stopped."

"Well then why didn't you just say "hey everyone, the storm is over"? Anya asked as she roughly hung a picture back up on the wall. It hung heavily to the left, but she didn't seem to notice."Clearly you said that to confuse the ex-demons among the group."

It never failed to amaze Xander at how quickly he could lose control of his conversations with Anya. He was now at a complete loss for words.

"Anya," He floundered, " I didn't mean to - I mean…Sometimes people say things that-"

"There you go again, patronising me! Speaking to me like I'm some sort of child!"

Anya's arms began flailing emphatically as she paced the room. It was clear to all that she was gearing up for a rant, the flat tone of her voice began to raise an octave or two with every passing second. Soon she'd be a shrill, animated bundle of indignation. Xander was doomed to endure the onslaught, however Giles was not and he wasted no time in making a silent exit.

Standing in the remnants of the Summer's kitchen, Giles searched the cupboards for some unbroken cups. He could still distinctly hear the familiar sounds of Xander and Anya bickering in the other room. This wasn't the first time Xander had had to deal with one of Anya's bizarre and irrational complaints and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. But though their constant altercations were usually more than a little irritating; today it was oddly comforting to hear. The house was a wreck, the town was all but destroyed, there was an apocalypse on its way and yet amidst all the chaos it was nice to know that some things continued as normal.

With the tea made and a handful of chipped mugs arranged neatly on a battered tray, Giles re-entered the living room. He set down the tea down on the table they had been previously sat under and was just in time to witness Xander and Anya's ritual make-up kiss. Perfect moment to clean one's glasses…

* * *

Faith couldn't believe the scene that stretched out before her. Sunnydale was completely trashed. The car made its way along the broken roads, Buffy taking extra care to avoid the various piles of rubble and debris, and on all sides there were demolished houses and abandoned streets. It was like something out of a disaster movie. Everything from family homes to large warehouses had been reduced to charred, empty shells and as far as eye could see there was blackened concrete and the odd furls of smoke rising from still-burning areas.

"So you're sayin' that one demon did all of this?" Faith asked, still slightly shocked at what she saw.

"Uh-huh", Buffy nodded, "Just the one".

"Damn!"

Buffy almost smiled a little at that response, Faith had never been big with the words, yet that never seemed to stop her from getting her point across.

* * *

It wasn't long before Buffy made it to what was left of her house. She stopped the car, locked the parking brake and took a breath. She knew that beyond the front door was a group of friends who loved and adored her. In fact, so great was their love that they actually managed to bring her back from death.

She could almost feel the life draining from her as she remembered the wonderful things she had experienced when she was 'dead' and the horrific shock of waking up in that damn coffin. Life since that night hadn't been the same. Though her friends did their best to help, the constant responsibilities of being a slayer and older sister to Dawn was proving to be too much. Their love was suffocating, nothing felt right. Part of her wished she could just give up the fight and watch the world burn. She was sick of constantly saving the day, what was so great about this place anyway?

As she gripped the steering wheel a reckless thought entered her head. What if she switched the engine back on and just drove away? Drove until the gas tank was empty and then ran until her legs gave out. But even as she thought it, she knew she couldn't do it. She had a job to do.

"So, we going in?" Faith questioned. And on getting no reply, added, "Or we could just sit out here and brood…"

Buffy looked at Faith. She seemed so very relaxed even now and for some reason she couldn't explain, this annoyed her. Irritation at her passenger's calm bravado soon began to replace her previous depression at returning. She unhooked her seat belt.

"Lets go."

The car doors opened simultaneously and both women stepped out. Faith eyed Buffy as they walked up to the front door. The two had spoken little on the journey here, perhaps partly due to the fact that neither had gotten a good nights sleep. Faith was sure that the nightmare she had endured had been shared with Buffy, but she hadn't dared to bring it up. It became just another unspoken thing between them.

Though conversation had been at the minimum, Faith had noticed that the closer they had gotten to Sunnydale, the more reserved the blonde had become. In fact her entire body seemed to become more drawn and she noticed tension lines where they had previously been none. And now after witnessing Buffy's slightly wobbly moment back in the parked car, she wondered just what she had got herself mixed up in. She supposed there was going to be some tense times ahead. Compared to that, an evil super-demon sounded like cake.

* * *

Faith remembered how Buffy and her friends used to be. In the old days, after a few days separation, she was sure Willow would have greeted her best friend with an enthusiastic hug. There would have been smiles all around and humorous banter exchanged. But it seemed those days were long gone. As she stepped through the front door behind Buffy, there was no warm welcome. They were instead met with a kind of awkward tension as Giles, Xander and Willow stood together in front of them.

"Were back." Buffy stated.

"It's good to see you made it in one piece," Giles noticed the faded bruises on Buffy, a result of their vampire encounter, "Was there trouble?"

Buffy shrugged, "Nothing a stake to the heart didn't fix."

Faith looked sidelong at Buffy and noticed a tiny smile creep on to her face. What was more interesting was Giles's reaction. It was a mixture of concern and cautious delight at the very subtle wisecrack. Clearly it didn't happen very often these days.

Willow then stepped forward to give Buffy a rough hug, "Glad your back, Buffy".

The hug was returned almost mechanically. Both women's forced behaviour didn't slip by Faith notice. Nor did Xander's upbeat greeting that seemed slightly too loud. Man, these guys were uptight. What the hell had happened to them all?

"And Faith, its good to see you again. Thank you for coming." All eyes turned to her as Giles acknowledged her presence.

Faith offered up what she hoped was a confident smile, "Well it was this or watching Glitter for the millionth time."

She was relieved to see that earn some smiles, albeit small ones. The group lingered in the hallway a moment longer, but it seemed nobody could find any more words. Fortunately rescue came in the form of Dawn and Tara tramping down the stairs, each armed with a broom and looking harassed.

"If Anya calls me a 'little kid' one more time I swear I'll - "

Tara's soft voice broke in gently, "I know she can be…difficult, Dawn, but you know she doesn't mean to upset you."

"What's she doing now?" Xander asked, as he glanced up the stairs.

Tara looked up and noticed the group for the first time, she offered an apologetic smile, "N-Nothing really, she's just getting a little over zealous with the cleaning upstairs."

Dawn glared, "She's ordering us about. And she keeps talking to me like I'm five years old!"

Faith eyed the young teenager in mild amusement. Though the kid was obviously growing up, she still retained her bratty attitude. She couldn't help it, despite her determination to behave herself, the comment left her lips before she could think, "Check it out, the brat's all woman sized."

Dawn's eyes narrowed in hatred. She stared at Faith, infuriated to see the usual cocky, I-don't-give-a-shit smirk plastered on her face. She tried to think of a poisonous insult to shoot back, but her efforts were thwarted by a pair of peace-keeping witches.

"Y'know its been a long day, " Willow broke in hurriedly, "Maybe you could help me and Tara out in the kitchen."

Dawn reluctantly allowed herself to be steered away and out of the hall. But she swore to herself this wasn't over. She hated Faith for all the pain she had caused. She also remembered the flames of jealousy she had felt as a child, seeing how much Buffy had enjoyed the other slayer's company. She had never been allowed to go on patrols or see vampires, Buffy had had such a cool job, but Dawn hadn't been a part of it. Faith had been though. She spent a lot of time with her sister before things between them turned sour. But things were different now. Dawn wasn't some dumb kid, and Faith had better watch out.

The rest of the group finally started moving. Xander went off to locate his girlfriend, Buffy went to shower, and Giles was left to get Faith 'settled in', as he put it. Faith hoped that the night would hold some answers as to exactly why she was here…


End file.
